


Draw The Line (Need To Know That You're Mine)

by thesoulsailor



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - High School, Attempted Sexual Assault, Bipolar Disorder, Boys In Love, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Implied Suicide Attempt, M/M, Oblivious!Isak, Pining, Possessive Behavior, Possessive!Even, also Vilde being Vilde which needs a trigger warning in itself let's be real, basically everything that is canoncially part of Even's past, now back to the good stuff, trigger warnings include:
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 19:43:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10906179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesoulsailor/pseuds/thesoulsailor
Summary: Five times Even pretends to be Isak's boyfriend, and one time there's no pretend at all.Or the 5+1 Fake Boyfriend Evak AU we all deserve.





	Draw The Line (Need To Know That You're Mine)

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** All credit for the characters goes to Julie Andem and the PTB of Skam. Please do not forward this fic to her or any other person involved with the production of the TV show, especially not the actors. Apart from that, this is a complete work of fiction and all rights are reserved. To not print or redistribute this without my permission. 
> 
> Title taken from "Now Or Never" by Halsey. 
> 
> Enjoy!

**#1**

The first time it happens, Isak is at a gay bar. And like pretty much every other uncomfortable, definitely embarrassing situation in Isak’s life, it’s Eskild’s fault.

“Listen to your guru, Isak baby, you need another shot!”

Eskild pulls him backwards against his chest, thrusting a fluorescent drink into Isak’s face and Isak takes it. Partially because he knows it’s the only response that will coax Eskild into letting him go, partially because -- despite the deafening Lady Gaga that’s blasting from the speakers -- he’s maybe, kinda _digging_ this whole going clubbing with Eskild thing. The dancers in the cages dangling from the ceiling are hot and the neon paint on everybody’s faces makes it fun. So, Isak is enjoying himself. Just a little bit. The alcohol is definitely helping the case. He makes it through two more shots and a Tequila Sunrise before his bladder makes him stray from Eskild’s ever-loving arms.

“Toilet break!” he bellows over the pounding music and Eskild gives him a thumbs up.

Then he switches from thumb to index finger, pointing Isak into the direction of the toilets. Isak makes it into the bathroom a spare second before his bladder bursts. He’s proud to say that his aim is as accurate as always, despite his definitely intoxicated state. Isak fumbles with his zipper for a good five minute afterwards, but eventually manages that, too. He’s doing great. On his way out of the bathroom stall, his body collides with another.

“Whoops, sorry!” Isak stumbles back, his shoulder blades hitting the door of the stall.

“Oh, I’m not,” comes the smooth reply.

Isak frowns and looks the guy up and down. He’s older than Isak. _Too old_ , his brain supplies. The guy rests his arm on the bit of door next to Isak’s face. His breath smells like alcohol and cigarettes as he leans in. He’s drunk, that’s about the only excuse Isak can adjudge the guy when his hand curls around Isak’s hip a moment later.

“How you doin’?” he slurs into his ear and Isak knows he should shove him off, but his arms won’t comply.

“Good,” Isak tries it the polite way, desperate to swallow down the panic rising in his throat. It’s then that the door to the bathrooms opens again and Isak thinks for a moment that the familiar figure that walks in is too good to be true.

He blinks, but when he reopens his eyes Even Næsheim is still entering the bathroom like Isak’s own personal Jesus clad in skinny jeans and neon sweatbands, blacklight paint covering his face in a multitude of colours.

Isak is so happy to see a friendly face he might start to cry out of relief. And of course, he and Even aren’t really friends, they are friends because their friends are friends and there are just some things that put you on the same team, such as being two of the few openly queer students at school. But Even’s familiarity puts an immediate relief to the stranger’s creepiness and Isak thanks all the gods he knows when he sees Even recognise him, sees Even’s expression darken at the panic he knows must show on his face.

Even’s stride becomes considerably more staggering as he approaches and like that he hip checks the stranger out of the way. Even winds his arms tightly around Isak’s neck, pulling him into his chest. Without hesitation, Isak clings to him. He wraps his arms around Even’s waist and squeezes what he can’t say. _Please, don’t leave me with this creep._

Even seems to get the message nonetheless, because he drawls out a “Tommy, there you are! I was out there looking for you, _kjæresten min_. C’mon, let’s get out of this place.”

And like that, he has his hand around Isak’s upper arm and is guiding him out of the bathroom. Isak willingly stumbles after him. He tries to watch his feet, bump into as little people as possible as Even steers him through the club. His heart is pounding so loudly in his ears he can’t hear the music anymore.

Isak doesn’t realise where they are headed until they are already outside, the cold night’s air stinging against his cheeks.

“Are you alright?” Even asks as soon as the emergency exit door has fallen shut behind them and all Isak can do is nod. Now that he’s out of danger, he feels nauseous. Way too nauseous.

Isak just so manages to turn away before he’s hurling against the back wall of the club. To his surprise, he feels Even’s arms snaking around his waist a second later, holding him upright while Isak throws up fluorescent splashes of alcohol, and a little bit of kebap.  

“Jesus.” Isak can feel Even’s breath against the crown of his head. “Are you alright, Isak?”

“I forgot to wash my hands after I peed,” Isak confesses before he cranes his neck to meet Even’s eyes. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Even tells him and Isak wants to hug the other boy. The look in Even’s eyes is more concerned than disgusted, which makes Isak feel minimally better.

He should stop throwing up first, though. Feeling his stomach lurch again, Isak quickly turns back to the wall. It takes another couple of minutes until his heaving turns into dry heaving turns into hiccups and when Isak thinks that he might be able to stand on his own again, he tells Even this.

“That’s good. I’m just gonna keep my arm around your waist for some extra support, is that okay?”

“Super duper okay,” Isak says. He should feel better now that he’s thrown up, but truth be told he still feels like shit. Very shaky shit. His whole body is quivering.

“Where do you live?”

Isak rattles down his address.

“Okay, your flat is closer than mine, so I’m taking you home. Do you have your keys with you?”

Isak struggles to fish them out of his pocket, so he empties it out into Even’s awaiting hand.

“Phone, keys, wallet. Congrats, Isak, you officially held onto all your belongings.”

Isak doesn’t manage more than a drunken grin in response.

Even pockets Isak’s things before getting them going again. The walk home is a mixture of squinting against the street lights overhead and Even’s calm voice encouraging him to “just walk a little further, there you go, we’re almost there.”

“Home,” Isak announces when they arrive in front of his building.

“We made it,” Even confirms and unlocks the door with Isak’s key.

The stairs are a whole other affair, but eventually they manage those, too. Isak’s eyes are drooping close by the time they stumble into the flat.

“Which door?”

Isak falls against it. Even catches him before he can slide to the ground.

“Oh, no, not yet. Just another couple of metres. See, there you go.”

Even lets him down onto the bed gently and Isak grabs his arm as soon as Even has thrown the duvet over his collapsed form.

“Thank you.” Isak’s eyes won’t focus properly, but he still manages to meet Even’s gaze in the dark of his bedroom.

“No problem, Isak.” Even’s eyes are sparkling, always sparkling with amusement, despite the low lighting. Even pats the hand Isak is circling his wrist with. “You sleep now.”

Isak barely registers Even leaving his room. There’s a bit of a commotion when the front door opens and Isak can hear Eskild belting _Born This Way_ off the top of his lungs. A moment later, Even’s shushing voice silences him. Isak makes a mental note to thank Even for that, among all the other things he has to thank Even for for doing tonight.

Outside the door, Isak believes he can hear Even chew Eskild out for leaving Isak alone at the club, but that might as well be the alcohol coursing through Isak’s body, making his head spin even as he is lying down. He’s fallen asleep before he manages to rest one foot on the ground.

The next morning, Isak wakes up to a cotton dry mouth and the headache of the century. There’s an arm thrown over his waist and Isak can’t help the disappointment in his gut when he realises that it’s Eskild.

“Get off me,” Isak grumbles, but truthfully he’s down for hungover cuddles. He just has to chug a couple litres of water first. On his way to the bathroom, he steps onto his phone. Cursing, he picks it up, inspecting it for any cracks before unlocking his screen. There are three text messages waiting for him. Two are from Eskild:

 _Eskild, 03:02:_  
**ISAK BABY WHR RU???**

 _Eskild, 03:14:_  
**NVM Even texted me that he ran into u and tht he’s taking u home do everything I would do K ?**

Isak exits the chat with an eyeroll. He heart lurches into his throat when he sees that the other text message is from Even:

_Even, 5:37:_

**Hey, Isak. Just making sure that you’re still alive. You were pretty gone yesterday, so I hope your head isn’t killing you too much right now. Drink some water! ❤️ Even**

Isak reads the text thrice before he presses his thumb against the heart on his phone screen. Something warm and unfamiliar makes his stomach feel fuzzy. Frowning, Isak tries to type out a reply, but his head is pounding too much for any coherent sentences to come out. Postponing the reply, Isak pockets his phone and continues his way to the bathroom.

It isn’t until he’s back in bed with Eskild, halfway through their upteenth rewatch of Pride and Prejudice, that he shifts uncomfortably. He squirms around until Eskild tells him to just go poop already and Isak sits up to find that there’s a neon yellow sweatband on his mattress, looking exactly like the ones Even had been wearing around his wrists. He snatches it up before Eskild can ask any questions and stuffs it into the drawer of his bedside table. By the time Monday rolls around and he sits next to Even at lunch, Isak has forgotten all about it.

 

**#2**

The second time it happens, Isak is sitting in the metro. This time, he’s expecting Even. They take the same tram home and most of the time they do so in companionable silence. But ever since Even rescued him that night at the club, they have been texting. Also, they talk whenever the opportunity arises. Isak likes to think of them as real friends now, not just friends of convenience. So Isak is beyond relieved when he sees Even enter the car a stop away from their school. Even likes to walk to a nearby kiosk and get some candy before he takes the tram, Isak knows as much about him by now. Even nods at him in greeting when he spots Isak, but stops short when he sees Emma sitting next to him and Isak watches realisation flicker in his friend’s eyes.

“So, how are you?” Emma asks in the meantime, causing Isak to focus his attention back on her.

Emma is nice to him in a “I’m sorry I outed you to the whole school without your consent” kind of way, just like he’s nice back in a “I’m sorry I used you as my beard without your consent ” kind of way. Isak tries to be as polite as he can but the conversation becomes more uncomfortable by the second. His heart sunk the moment she sat down next to him, greeting him in the overly enthusiastic way she does.

“Good.” He clears his throat. “And you?”

“Oh, I’m fine, fine. I’m dating this guy now. He’s a university student. Very mature and, you know, not secretly gay.”

Isak hums. A moment later, Even falls into the seat opposite of them.

“Hi, guys!” he says brightly, shooting Emma a brilliant smile as he leans forward. Apart from all his usual Even-related emotions, Isak also feels a peng of jealousy. Even is effortlessly gorgeous in a way that Isak can merely admire from afar.

“Hey,” Even says more lowly, just to him and if Isak wouldn’t know better, he would think that Even’s voice sounds _sultry_. His eyebrows raise involuntarily when Even takes one of his hands, intertwining their fingers. Even’s wriggles his eyebrows in response and it isn’t until he speaks again that Isak finally catches on.

“Are you not going to introduce me?”

“Oh. _Oh._ Right, yes.”

Emma is looking slightly bemused and a lot expectantly between the two of them. Isak shoots her his best imitation of Even’s thousand watt smile.

“Emma, this is Even. He’s a third year and, uh--”

“I’m his boyfriend,” Even supplies helpfully and Emma’s mouth falls open for a split second before she manages to shake herself out of it.

What follows is the most unsubtle subtle relationship interrogation Isak has ever sat through. He makes three crosses when Emma’s stop comes up and she waves both of them goodbye, nearly buzzing with all the new information she just gathered.

“You’re my saviour,” Isak tells Even the moment the tram doors have closed behind Emma.

“I’m getting quite good at this pretending to be your boyfriend thing,” Even grins. “Practice makes perfect, huh?”

“You’re aware, though, that the entire second year is going to know about this,” Isak nods at where their hands are still intertwined, “by tomorrow, right?

“Eh.” Even lets go of his hand and Isak can’t help but mourn the loss. “Let them talk. I don’t mind. Much more important is that you out-exed her.”

“Winning!” Isak thrusts his fist in the air and it’s worth the burst of laughter that comes out of Even’s mouth.

“That’s right! Very mature university guy ain’t got nothing on me.” Even brushes non-existent dust off his shoulder.

“He doesn’t,” Isak says before he can think better of it and it’s worth the pride it puts in Even’s eyes. For a moment, they just smile at each other. When Isak gets up for his stop, he feels Even following him past the grabpoles to the tram doors.

“See you tomorrow, boyfriend!” Even shouts after him once Isak has jumped onto the platform of his stop and Isak waves. He’s still grinning by the time he gets home.

 

**#3**

The third time it happens, they are at the supermarket. It’s Friday night and Isak had graciously offered to help Even carry when Even had said he would buy beer for their pregame.

“Yeah, we’re at the store now,” Isak assures Jonas over the phone. He is holding open the fridge door while Even pulls two six-packs of beer off the stack.

“Hurry,” Jonas tells him, his voice barely audible over the loud trap hop playing in the background. Isak makes a mental note to wrestle the AUX cord from Magnus upon arrival. “Mahdi stole a bottle of Bacardi from his father and I don’t know how much longer I can hold them off.”

“We’ll hurry.” Isak laughs and hangs up.

Pushing his phone into his pocket, he takes one of the six-packs from Even’s arms and dumps it into their shopping cart.

“Anything else?”

“Nah.” Isak shakes his head. “I think we’re good.”

“Snacks?” Even asks hopefully.

Isak lets out a dramatic sigh, but waves at Even to go ahead. “You go. I’ll get in line at the register.”

Even salutes before taking off.

Isak pushes the cart up to the tills and gets in line behind an old lady. Judging by the content of her shopping cart, she’s here to buy sixteen cans of cat food and a cabbage. As soon as she has placed a divider behind her items, Isak heaves the beer onto the conveyer belt. It’s an hour before closing time, so all tills are open, packed with people eager to get a headstart into the weekend.

“Isak, baby!” Isak suddenly hears Even call him from the snack aisle. “Do you want Barbecue Style or Sour Cream & Onion?”  

And Isak wants to bury his face in the 50 litre keg next to the trifles stand. Even picked up the nickname from Eskild, that one morning he slept over after a long night of video games. Eskild was thrilled when he found them in the kitchen and despite Isak’s best assurances that Even was not, in fact, his “cute boyfriend, look how _whoosh_ his hair is, Isak baby!”, Eskild pride-cuddled Isak nearly to death. Even watched the whole ordeal with amusement, and picked up the nickname to use on Isak now whenever he feels like making Isak turn red in embarrassment. Isak does the very same thing now as every single pair of eyes in the vicinity of of the checkout area lands on him.

“Just take what you want!” Isak yells back before quickly ducking his head into his shopping cart. His cheeks are still burning by the time he hears Even excuse his way past the people in line behind them.

It’s only when Even starts talking to him that Isak looks up to find the old lady staring at them. Isak quickly averts his eyes and turns towards Even, who is ranting on about his newest film project. Isak doesn’t understand the half of it, but he’s pretty content to just listen to Even talk, watch the way his eyes sparkle and his hands draw his ideas into the air between them. It’s when Even takes his hands in order to make Isak mimic some camera perspective that Isak looks up to find the old lady still looking at them. Isak feels his heartbeat quicken and he wants to back away from Even, disentangle their hands but then the old lady has already stepped closer to them.

“Excuse me,” she speaks and her voice is quiet but her gaze is strong.

Even stops talking to look at her and Isak swallows against the lump in his throat. Rationally speaking he knows that there is nothing she can do to them. They are in a public place and she’s about a hundred years old. Still, Isak feels fear knot his stomach. Words bleed.

“Yes?” Even asks nonchalantly.

“Are you two,” her voice drops to a whisper, “ _liaised?_ ”

Isak wants to leave. He wants to go and get the rest of Mr Disi’s Bacardi and forgot this ever happened. Most of all, he wants to let go of Even’s hands. Even’s grip tightens for a moment and then he’s letting go in order to throw an arm around Isak’s shoulder. And like that, Even is fisting one hand into the front of Isak’s shirt while he beams at the old lady, “Yes, we are. This is my boyfriend Isak. Isn’t he handsome?”

Isak closes his eyes for a second before he gathers up the courage to chance a glance at the old lady. To Isak’s surprise, she is smiling.

“That’s wonderful,” she says and Isak almost expects her to lean forward and pinch their cheeks. “Young love is always so wonderful.”

“Yeah, he is,” Even muses and the woman’s eyes light up.

“Ah, look he’s blushing. Such a sweet young gentleman. Hold onto that one tightly, boy!”

“Will do!”

They both laugh and Isak feels dazed, as if he was watching a train go by too fast before his eyes. Everything is happening so fast. Or maybe it is just his mind that is processing everything too slowly.

The old lady sighs in content and she looks like she wants to say more, but her groceries are up for checkout so she waves at them in goodbye. Next to him, Even waves back before he relaxes and lets go of Isak. Even looks so lighthearted that Isak feels jealous.

“That was lovely,” Even comments. “I’m glad we could make her night.”

He fishes his phone out of his pocket and a moment later Isak can hear the Candy Crush tune. Isak doesn’t ask. He doesn’t think about the heaviness of Even’s arm around his shoulder that he can still feel. He doesn’t think about the joy in Even’s eyes as the woman had complimented them or how Even had been so quick to claim him as his boyfriend in front of this stranger. Isak doesn’t think about the pull in his chest and the want in his stomach. It was just a play. It’s always just a play they put up for the world, a little white lie of convenience. Almost like an inside joke between them. Isak is unbothered by it.

Eventually, the queue moves forward and they pay. By the time they have made it to Jonas’ house, Isak has all but forgotten about the incident. It’s only Even’s voice at the back of his mind, asking _Isn’t he handsome?_ over and over again that remains.

 

**#4**

The fourth time it happens, Isak asks. He finds Even in the study hall, head bent over some books that look too much like History for Isak’s liking. Even is chewing on his pencil and Isak does not pay attention to the way Even’s lips close around the tip of the pencil, sucking in thought.

“I’ll give you a month’s worth of McDonald’s and my left kidney if you come to dinner with my parents this Friday,” Isak announces as he flops down in the seat opposite of Even.

Even looks up at him with a bemused smile, his head tilting like that of a curious puppy. Isak stills, keeps the determined look on his face while Even peruses him. Eventually, Even hums, plucks the pencil from in between his teeth and leans forward.

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch,” Isak lies, and is quick to elaborate. “I mean, not really. Thing is, my dad invited my mum and I over for dinner Friday night and my mum said yes which never happens so I really wanna go and I... I kind of maybe thought about telling them about _me_.” Isak squeezed the snapback in his hands. “Uh, me being gay that is. I just--”

“I’m in,” Even cuts him short before Isak can ramble on.

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah.” Even grins as he kicks back his chair so that he’s balancing on two legs. He crosses his arms behind his head. “A free meal is a free meal.”

“Is it also a free meal if you have it pretending to be my boyfriend… kinda… again?”

At that, Even’s eyebrows lift.

“It’s just that,” Isak hastily adds, “I’m scared that my parents won’t believe me if I don’t bring any proof. And it would… it would be nice to have you there.”

Isak watches as a slow, gentle smile makes the corners of Even’s mouth curl upwards.

“Of course,” Even preens. “I’ll be the best proof to have ever been proven! The best proof your parents have ever laid eyes upon!”

Isak laughs because it’s the only relief he can think of for all the bubbling energy inside his chest. “Thanks, thank you so much!”

Even winks at him, the way he does with both eyes and that certain spark in them that always makes Isak feel dazzled, and then he turns back to his homework.

Isak leaves him be. Even is already redoing his final year, he doesn’t need Isak to distract him any further. So Isak goes home and calls his dad to tell him that he’s bringing someone to the dinner. Then he texts Even the details of the restaurant.

The rest of the week passes in a haze of Eskild trying to get him to join him in his newfound kale diet and library sessions with Sana in preparation of their first round of exams. Isak and Even don’t talk until Friday. In fact, Isak tries to reach Even several times, but Even never answers him. He’s not at school and whenever Isak tries to call him he gets redirected to voicemail right away.

Isak isn’t worried about that per se, Even does that sometimes. He falls off the face of the earth for a couple of days and then reappears just as dandy as ever. So it’s not until Isak is standing in front of his father’s house with no Even in sight that he’s starting to seriously worry. In the one text of Isak that he’d answered, Even had reassured him that he would show, though, so Isak trusts that and rings the doorbell.

His mother squeezes him tightly when he walks into the kitchen and Isak tries to smile past her Christian spewings about how much of a blessing he is. He tries to see the love in her words and ignores the need for flight in his father’s eyes. It’s December, outside the snow is falling and they can manage one dinner as a family.

Isak checks his phone while his parents place the food on the table and swallows down the lump in his throat when he finds his message board empty.

“Phone away, son,” his father reprimands him and Isak pushes his phone into his pocket. It’s not like it’s of any use to him at the moment anyways.

“Smells good, dear,” his mother compliments his father.

Isak’s father smiles at her with the remnants of a love in his eyes that Isak wishes desperately was still there but the fading of which he has come to accept. Isak is next up on his mother’s inquiry schedule. He gracefully dodges all questions about school with practised ambiguity.

“That’s nice to know you like the Sciences so much. How’s Jonas? And speaking of friends, didn’t you want to bring one of yours?”

Isak feels his heart seize with unease, but he plasters a smile on his face and shrugs, “Yeah, he--”

Before he gets to finish, the doorbell rings.

“Oh, that must be him!”

His mother is up before Isak can stop her and he listens anxiously as she opens the front door. Though he doesn’t understand what they are saying, he can make out Even’s smooth voice, followed by his mother’s laughter. In an instant, Isak feels his shoulders relax. He came.

Even is all wrapped up in his usual layers when he walks into the room behind her. Isak scrutinises him upon entry, but finds that he looks unexpectedly… normal. Exactly like the last time Isak saw him. Even smile is as easy as ever and he shoots Isak a wink before he focusses back on Isak’s mother, who’s fussing over him, having peeled two of his five layers off already.

“We were just about to start dinner,” his father eventually intervenes. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you to, Sir.” Even shakes the hand Isak's father proffers. “I'm Even.”

“Even, it's so wonderful to meet Isak's new friend.”

His mother rambles on as she begins to heap casserole onto Even's plate and Isak watches Even engage her over the brim of his glass. Even is nothing less than perfect with his parents, filling every lull in conversation with funny anecdotes. It's almost fascinating, how easily he wraps them around his finger. Isak would be jealous about the way his parents look at Even if he wasn't feel the exact same way.

Even leans into him as soon as Isak's parents disappear into the kitchen to get dessert. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Isak murmurs back and he tries hard not to think about the consoling hand Even has placed on his thigh. “I'm just glad you're here.”

“I promised. You plan to tell them now?”

Isak nods and thinks, “fuck it” before he grabs the hand that is still resting on his thigh. Even begins talking as soon as his parents are back, thanking them for the dinner and complimenting the dessert. He leaves an opening, one that Isak seizes.

“Mum, dad?”

“Yes, son?”

Isak feels his heart pound against his rib cage. He looks both his parents in the eye, meets his father's curious gaze and his mother's slightly off but attentive stare. And the words are there, lying on his tongue, but his mouth won't open. He thinks he might die of a heart attack when he feels the pressure of fingertips against his palm. Even is squeezing his hand in encouragement and Isak heaves in a breath.

“I'm gay,” he blurts out without any further preamble.

“I'm his boyfriend,” Even adds not a second later, his voice as calm as ever and Isak watches his father's eyebrows rise to unknown heights.

It's his mother that speaks first, and for the first time in a long time, Isak hears her speak steadily, a little bit like the mother he remembers from his kindergarten days, “That's very lovely, Isak.”

Isak blinks. He looks to his father whose expression was just as solemn as his mother's.

“I agree,” his father says. He clears his throat. “You're happy, yeah?”

“Yes,” Isak lies easily. He feels a smile pull up the corners of his mouth. “We're very, very happy.”

Between them, Even lifts their intertwined hands and places them openly on the dinner table.

“Good.” His father's smile is content. “Then I think I can spare you, Even, the stern talking to. Just know that it happened, in my mind.”

“Of course, Sir.” Even grins. “I intent to take good care of your son.”

It's then that Isak can't take it anymore. He gets up. Isak gets to his father first, his mother joining in their hug a moment later. Isak feels tears prick on the corner of his eyes, but he wipes them away quickly. He doesn't want to make his mother cry.

“I love you, Isak. I've always loved you and I always will.” His mother presses a kiss against his temple and his father nods, patting his shoulder. “We love you. Thank you for telling us.”

Feeling as light as air, Isak disentangles himself from them. “I love you, too.”

He wipes his nose and turns to Even who has moved in the direction of the door. Beaming at him, Even wiggles his eyebrows and Isak nods.

“We're gonna go up to my room for a bit,” Isak tells his parents and they wave him off with the promise to take care of the dishes.

As soon as they have rounded the corner, Isak tackles Even into a hug, a mad giggle bubbling up his throat. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Isak tightens his grip until Even pats his shoulder. He takes Even's hand and pulls him up the stairs. Isak feels his cheeks heat up as he opens the door to his old room. He hasn’t been in there for over a year and right now he desperately wishes fifteen year-old him hadn’t been so zealous about printing out memes and plastering them onto his wall. Also, there’s a poster of Zac Efron. Isak elegantly moves himself in front of it as he turns around.

He expects Even to inspect his room with curiosity, maybe tease him a bit for his Superman bed sheets. What he finds instead is Even propped against the door, his eyes closed as he slowly pulls his hoodie over his head.

“Even?” Isak asks, confused.

It takes almost twenty seconds until Even opens his eyes in response, and what Isak finds in his face makes his stomach drop. Even’s eyes are empty, as if someone had flicked off the lights behind them. Even's movements are sluggish as he kicks off his shoes, pushes down his jeans until he’s standing there in only boxers and a white t-shirt.

“Can we lay down for a bit?” Even asks.

He collapses onto Isak's bed before Isak has a chance to answer. After that, Even doesn't move any further, lying there like a puppet with cut strings. For a moment, Isak is unsure what to do. Watching Even's facade crumble like that, realising that it was a facade in the first place, all the perfect smiles and enthusiastic story-tellings he has seen tonight, it leaves Isak with a queasy stomach. In the end, Isak slowly toes off his shoes and joins Even on the bed. He pulls the covers from underneath Even's body and spreads them out over him instead. Even is either asleep or has no interest in protesting, so Isak makes sure that Even is wrapped up tightly before he fits himself against the limp form.

With Even curled into his side, right where Isak can watch him, right where Isak can make sure he's okay, Isak's worry somewhat diminishes. He's done so much for Isak, if Even needs them to lay down right now, they will do just that. They can talk later. So Isak forces himself to relax and allows his eyes to droop close.

He's almost fallen asleep when Even moves in his sleep. One of his elbows hits Isak in the face before he's wriggling around, his back pressing against Isak's chest. Isak lifts his head to make sure Even is still asleep, but his eyes catch on Even's arms instead. It's as he stares at the thick, faded twin lines running down Even's wrists that Isak realises he has never seen Even without at least two of his shirt layers before. There have always been sleeves obscuring the marring lines. Isak never noticed. He doesn't fall asleep again.

Even tells him when they get up hours later. It’s dark outside and Isak thinks that maybe it’s easier to say the words in the dark. He tries to process all of it, tries to remember all the words Even gives him in lack of explanations. The one that scribes itself into his brain the most is _bipolar disorder_. He knows roughly what it means. He has watched 90210. Magnus’ mother is ill in the same way. It makes Isak interrupt Even for the first time.

“But that’s not lethal, is it? I mean you can live with that?”

Even smiles at him, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. They are still tired, and full of a resignation that Isak doesn’t want to think about.

“More or less, yeah.”

Isak doesn’t ask about the scars. He asks whether he can hug Even instead. Even allows him to and they spend the rest of the night tangled up with each other.

It’s a slow process the next morning. Even is visibly mellow and Isak wants to go home with him, make sure he gets there alright, but he’s toeing the 10% so he makes it to school around third period. If he’s uncharacteristically gloomy at lunch, Jonas senses it and - bless his soul - talks over his silence. He texts Even throughout the day, cautious inquiries whether he’s okay. In the evening, he gets an octopus emoji back. Isak takes that as a sign that Even will be okay.

 

**#5**

The fifth time it happens, Isak doesn’t want to dance, but the adamant look in Eva’s eyes kind of forces him to. And though it’s been years since he broke her and Jonas up, he still feels guilty about it, and, subsequently, compelled to do whatever she asks of him. Eva has forgiven him, of course, did so the very same night they were both drunk, squished together on a couch in somebody’s basement and he broke down, confessing all of his meddling sins. That night, she told him that she was glad it happened, that she found herself because of it, and sometimes when Isak sees her with Chris or her friends he allows himself to believe her. Nonetheless, the guilt stays and so does his obedience to her every wish.

This is why he finds himself in front of the winter ball ticket booth, 200 kroner in his hand.

“Isak, hi!” Vilde greets him enthusiastically and Isak blinks past the white glitter on her cheeks, the bouncing snowflakes on her hairband.

“Uh, hi. Eva texted me? She reserved two tickets for me to pick up today?”

“Ah, yes! Let me scratch your name of the list, just a moment.”

Isak forces himself to smile at her and taps his foot on the ground. There is a decent amount of people waiting behind him in line, some of which are smart enough to switch to Sana’s lane when they realise Vilde is taking her time. Sana shoots him an amused smile, and Isak finds himself grinning back in a “what can you do?” manner. He’s accepted that Eva’s making him go to this thing, he might as well play along.

“Alright, I checked your name. Here you go!”

Vilde hands him the two glitter-covered tickets and Isak places the money in her waiting hand. He thanks her, but isn’t fast enough to pull away.

“I must say,” Vilde starts and Isak rocks back on his feet. Behind him, he can hear two more people shuffle into Sana’s line. “I think it’s so nice that you’re going to the winter ball! Just because you’re gay doesn’t mean that you can’t partake in all the school festivities, you know? And of course, you and your dance partner will have so much fun! We even organised a photo booth. Won’t that be the cutest thing?”

Vilde is halfway through telling him about the DJ they hired when Isak hears a voice pipe up behind him, “You’re going to the winter ball?”

Immediately, Isak sends a prayer to the god that Sana believes in (as it is the only one in whose good favour he’s somewhat, second-hand in at the moment) that the ground may open up beneath his feet. It doesn’t, however, so he’s forced to face Even when he rocks up beside him.

Before Isak can recollect his brain cells, Vilde is already talking again, “That’s right! And Isak has two tickets, so he’s taking someone! Aren’t you Isak?”

“Uh, actually,” Isak wrenches his brain for anything to say, but the harder he tries to string together an explanation, the more blank his mind seems to become. That is, until he feels a heavy arm fall around his shoulder.

“Ah! Don’t be shy, babe!” Even exclaims. He beams at him, all cute teeth (and since when can teeth be called that in the first place?) and sparkling eyes, and Isak is about to say something, anything, but then Even is pressing his lips against Isak’s mouth, right in the middle of the school hallway, right in front of basically everyone Isak knows. “You can tell them that we’re going together.”

Somewhere between Vilde’s delighted screech, Sana’s analytic eyebrows and the general curious staring of the rest of the school, Isak finds the strength to choke out a “Yeah, sorry, how dumb of me.”

The next thing he knows is that Even is dragging him out of school and all Isak feels in that moment is gratitude. He would follow Even everywhere right now if it means escaping all the stares boring into his body. That is, until Even is sitting him down on one of the benches just off the school grounds and Isak finally regains his ability of speech.

“What… what was that?”

Even shrugs, way too nonchalantly for Isak’s panic-induced brain. “I thought I’d save you some rambling. It was okay, right? You don’t actually have another date?”

“No.” The honest concern in Even’s face makes Isak want to shove all his brash, barely articulated words back into his mouth. Hastily, he waves Even off. “No, no, don’t worry, I don’t. I mean now I kind of do because you said you’d go with me -- which of course doesn’t mean that you have to go with me! I mean we can go as friends, you know, just two boys dancing together that’s not that unusual, only if that’s cool with you of course. Is it-- is it cool with you?”

Even laughs. “Yeah, it will be cool! I planned on going by myself anyways and this will at least make Vilde very happy. I promised Sana and her that I'd help them set up the lights but what do you say if you text me once you're there and I'll come out and we can walk in together?”

“Sounds good,” Isak says against the rushing in his ears.

Even smiles. “Cool, a date it is! I've got P.E. now but I'll text you. See you later, Isak baby!”

Shouldering his bag, Even waves at him and then swaggers away.

“Why'd you kiss me?” Isak asks, but Even is long gone.

**+1**

The bow tie is tied too tightly around his neck. Isak wriggles a finger in between his collar and neck while Noora slaps at his hands lest he ruin her artwork of a bow tie knot. Out of the corner of his eye, Isak can see Eskild filming the whole thing.

“Guys,” Isak whines, but gets nothing but smug and maybe a little teary-eyed grins in return.

“Let us have this moment,” Eskild scolds him. “We are your parents and this is your first school dance.”

He shoves the camera into Isak’s face.

“You’re embarrassing me,” Isak mumbles, pushing the camera away.

“Just because we love you, baby,” Eskild muses, but relents and turns the camera off.

As soon as Nora lets him go, Isak thanks her and flops down on the couch next to William. Noora’s boyfriend is sprawled out on their couch, a napkin covering the front of his tuxedo where he’s nursing a can of beer.

“Alright, I'm going to get dressed now. None of you move, either of you,” Noora scolds them before vanishing into her room.

William silently offers him a sip of his beer and Isak takes it gratefully. They make it through the quarter of a Marvel movie before Noora re-emerges, now dressed in a beautiful ice blue gown that matches William's tie. Isak has to avert his gaze when William stands up to take her into his arms because the yearning in his chest is so overwhelming.

“Have fun!” Linn tells them through her cracked open door when they leave.

Isak spends the drive to their school crammed into the backseat of William's Porsche and Isak is thankful for that. He's too busy finding a comfortable position for his legs to pay much attention to the obnoxious hand-holding in front of him. Straight couples are gross, Isak decides, trying not to choke on his own jealousy. Love sucks.

William helps Noora out of the passenger seat, carefully decreases her dress for her before he helps Isak out of the backseat. Isak makes it about three more seconds in their presence before he excuses himself to look for Even. He bumps into Eva first. Her too bright grin tells him that the girls pregamed before the ball and he quickly disentangles himself from her drunken hug before she can pull him into the venue already.

In the end, Even finds him first.

“Hey there, handsome,” Even's smooth voice greets him from behind him as Isak's surveying the queue of people waiting to be let into the venue. A second later, Even's arm snakes around his waist and Isak can't help the stuttering of his heart, the automatic smile that makes its way onto his face.

“Hey,” he gives back as nonchalantly as possible and thinks, _Fuck_. Even looks good. No, Even looks _really_ good in his fitted black suit. even the theme-faithful snowflakes on his tie don't look half as ridiculous as they should. Isak feels inadequate. His hand starts tugging on his bowtie in a vain attempt to loosen it. It's so hard to breathe in Even's presence.

Isak stumbles after Even to join the entrance line. The queue moves forward quickly and they take their pictures at the entrance. Even snatches the slip with their pick-up number from his hands before Isak has a chance to properly hold onto it and then they are being shooed along, into the venue.

The inside of the gym looks amazing. The walls are covered in white and light blue crepe paper, and a thousand paper snowflakes are hanging from the ceiling that Isak knows got more than one of the girls a mother's wrist.

“There you are!” Vilde's all too familiar voice pipes up behind them and Isak feels Even pull him closer into his side. “I am very glad you could make it!”

Vilde skips to a halt in front of them and Isak tries hard not to giggle at the snowman design printed onto her dress.

“The decorations look amazing, Vilde,” Isak tells her honestly.

Vilde's eyes light up with joy. “Thank you! It was very hard, but in the end we managed and that's what's most important, don't you think?”

“Vilde!” Sana calls out and appears next to Vilde a second later. Sana is shadowed by a tall boy in a navy suit and a matching bandana. The way he looks at the back of Sana's head is just a tad too adoring to be completely platonic and Isak makes a mental note to interrogate his friend about it during their next study session.

“Oh, duty calls! Gotta go. Have fun, you two!”

Vilde, Sana and Sana's date leave in a flurry of ball gowns and white glitter and Isak finds himself relax against Even's side.

“That went well,” Even comments. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Aw, you're such a proper date! Yes, thank you!”

“Shut up,” Even rolls his eyes but Isak sees the fond shining through.

Isak watches Even disappear in the direction of the buffet. By the time he returns, Isak's friends have found him and they are having a serious competition of who can make it through the Macarena without fucking up the dance moves. For some reason, none of their friends seem very surprised when Even tells them that Isak and him are attending the winter ball together. Isak decides to worry about that later. Heis having fun. All his friends are here, a '97er (which Isak highly suspects to be Chris Schistad) has managed to spike the punch and Jonas eventually convinces the DJ to let him queue up some songs that aren't overplayed radio bops. For a school-coordinated event, it's a blast.

During one of the slower songs, Even pulls him into a tight embrace and they slow dance. Isak is all too willing to rest his head on Even's shoulder and let Even guide them through the crowd. After two hours of drinking and jumping around with his friends, he feels sluggish.

“It's funny,” Even murmurs into his ear, just loudly enough to be audible over the Ron Pope song that's playing. “I remember the first time we properly interacted, that night at the club. You leaned on me just the same then.”

“Huh?” Isak asks. He feels tired and Even is too beautiful in the changing lights of the disco balls.

Even smiles. “Do you want to go outside?”

The slow dance portion ends with a Gabrielle song and Isak lets Even lead him out of the crowd. On their way out, Even grabs a bottle of sparkling wine from a crate behind the buffet and then they are leaving the venue through the back entrance. Even insists on stopping by his car and Isak's eyebrows rise when Even pushes two winter coats and a blanket into his arm. It's cool outside, but not cold enough to be uncomfortable.

“You just don't feel it, because you're drunk, Isak baby.”

Isak's protests die with the nickname and he obediently follows Even when the other boy makes them walk all the way to the Slotts park nearby. Without all the people and loud music, Isak feels his head clear a bit. He soon begins to shiver so he is thankful for the coat Even puts over his shoulders.

“On the hill, I want to see the stars,” Even explains and they hike up the short trail.

Finally, Even lets himself drop onto the grass and Isak is just too happy to flop down next to him. While Isak spreads out the blanket for them to sit on, Even pops the cork of the sparkling wine. It's the first time Isak has seen Even drink tonight. Upon his inquiry, Even shrugs at him and smiles. “Courage.”

They pass the bottle in silence for several minutes and Isak can't help the happy, fuzzy feeling in his stomach. It creates an electric current beneath his skin, being alone with Even like this. It's late enough to make the silence between them meaningful and Isak basks in it.

“Thank you,” Isak says eventually. He meets Even's eyes when the older boy turns to looks at him. “Not just for tonight -- I mean especially for tonight – but for all the other times as well. When you pretended to be my boyfriend. You saved my ass so many times I lost count. That was… thanks.”

Even's gaze softens and there's another stretch of silence. I

sak is looking back at the stars by the time Even says, “What if we weren’t pretending?”

And Isak feels his heart stop right then and there. “Say w-what?”

“Somewhere out there,” Even points at the sky, “somewhere out there is a universe where we are together. For real.”

“You mean like a parallel universe?” Isak asks.

“A parallel universe,” Even confirms. His eyes are bright when he meets Isak’s gaze.

Isak smiles back. His heart is pounding so hard against his ribs he thinks it might break them. There’s a solemnity in Even’s eyes, a determination that knocks the breath right out of Isak’s lungs.

“I want it to be this one.”

Isak stops breathing right then and there. He only realises that when his lungs begin to burn and he is shaken by a coughing fit.

“You want to be with me?”

“Isak.” Even's smile is so bright it battles the stars for their light and since when does Isak think sappy stuff like that anyways? It's Even's fault undoubtedly, making him watch so many Baz Luhrmann movies. “You're so incredibly thick.”

“Hey!”

“How many times do I have to grab your hand or proclaim that I'm your boyfriend in front of other people for you to get the hint?”

“I-- I mean-- I didn't--”

Even cuts him off with a long-suffering sigh. “I know. I know you didn't realise. Brought me many sleepless nights, that one.”

“But why?” Isak can't help but ask and it hurts, the bare truth of his words.

Even's answer comes without hesitation and the sheer force of it nearly sends Isak right into cardiac arrest. “Because I'm in love with you. Have been for quite some time. You're… you make me feel real. Like a real person. Like I have a reason.”

“What--” Isak wants to ask but Even doesn't let him finish.

“You give me your favourite pillow even though I know you can't sleep on the other one. You let me win at Fifa. You asked me to meet your parents because you thought I was good enough for that.”

“My mum's gonna be so damn happy,” Isak mutters.

Even's face lights up. “Does that mean you're considering it? Making it real? Do you want to be my boyfriend?”

It’s almost disconcerting, how abruptly Isak heart stops hammering. Isak expects himself to stumble, stutter and fumble for an answer, but he doesn’t. He feels calm. A smile tugs on his lips, and for what seems to be the first time since he met Even, Isak doesn’t stumble over his own words when he says, “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Even leans in. He does it slowly, giving Isak time to back out. Isak makes it about five seconds before he lets out an impatient huff and clasps his hands around Even’s face, pulling him in. Even's lips are soft against his, and it takes Isak only a moment before he opens his mouth. The feeling of Even's tongue against his is so brilliant Isak feels dizzy with it all.

“You know,” Isak says when they break for air, “I've been crushing on you for ages, right? Like you can't imagine my mortification when you walked into the bathroom that night at the club. I was so embarrassed.”

“I wanted to kill that guy,” Even admits, a tad too serious to be joking, and Isak laughs at the absurdity of it all. The memory of that night will always leave his stomach queasy, but it's easy to push it back into the depths of his mind, now that he's got Even's hand and heart for the taking. Even, who said that he was in love with him.

“Hey, Even?”

“Yeah?”

“I'm glad it's this one. Out of all the parallel universes, I'm glad I get to live in this one, where we're together.”

Isak feels a smile pull up the corners of his mouth when Even takes his hand.

“Me, too, Isak. Me, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you like it please please leave me kudos and a comment! Additionally, you can find me on my [skam tumblr: evakshjemme.](http://evakshjemme.tumblr.com/) I really hope you enjoyed this fic. All the love, Carly. ❤︎


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